The Thursday Murder Club cast and character guide: Who plays whom in the upcoming crime comedy adaptation?

Netflix's The Thursday Murder Club is adapting Richard Osman's crime comedy thriller for the screen, and the cast is stacked. Led by some of the biggest powerhouses of the industry, the film is set to unravel a murder mystery featuring four amateur detectives in a retirement home.

The film is directed by Chris Columbus, who calls the cast the best he has ever worked with since the Harry Potter franchise, describing it as,

“There’s a wonderful mystery at its core, so mystery fans will be very happy. But thematically it’s interesting that we’ve got four elderly people who are living in a retirement community and who are fascinated by death and murder. They are facing their own demise, yet at the same time they are obsessed with studying cold cases. I fell in love thematically with that. It’s comedic, but it’s also very emotional.”

As it readies up to drop on Netflix in less than two weeks, here's everything you need to know about the film's cast.

Cast of The Thursday Murder Club

Helen Mirren as Elizabeth Best

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Helen Mirren plays retired spy Elizabeth Best and is one of the four protagonists of the film. The actress is known for her roles in The Queen, Prime Suspect, and Elizabeth I, the former of which earned her an Oscar. Known for her roles in royal, regal, and timeless roles, she was also the narrator of Greta Gerwig's Barbie.

The Thursday Murder Club will be Mirren's return to comedy, and with a legacy like hers, it will surely be interesting to see what she brings to the club!

Pierce Brosnan as Ron Ritchie

Hollywood heartthrob Pierce Brosnan is bringing his charm and his comedic skills to The Thursday Murder Club as Ron Ritchie, an ex-union leader who is now retired. Brosnan is mostly known for his James Bond portrayal across four films, but behind that, the actor has an impressive collection of comedy films up his sleeve.

He starred in the comedy Doubtfire and also in the Mamma Mia! franchise. Apart from that, he has also been in the DCEU as Kent Nelson, proving he has impeccable range.

Ben Kingsley as Ibrahim Arif

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Ben Kingsley will be playing a retired psychiatrist, Ibrahim Arif, in The Thursday Murder Club. Widely known and acclaimed for his Academy Award-winning role as Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi, Kingsley has had an impressive career spanning decades, where he has spun across multiple genres and characters, each quirkier than the last.

He played Trevor Slattery in the MCU, sociopath Don Logan in Sexy Beast, earning another Oscar nomination, Herman Tarnower in the series Mrs. Harris, and the list goes on. Kingsley's specialty is roles that are a little unhinged and all the more brilliant, and with a legacy like that, he might just be the perfect Ibrahim that most fans would have imagined while reading the novel.

Celia Imrie as Joyce Meadowcroft

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Rounding up the squad of four is Celia Imrie as Joyce Meadowcraft, a retired nurse who joins the team for the murder mystery. Imrie is known for her roles in the Bridget Jones film series, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.